Shafaq News/ Alay Shorish Organization commented, on Monday, on Lahur Sheikh Jangi’s statement in which he said that "Alay Shorish" was a "poisoned dagger" in the side of the Patriotic Union (PUK).

 "Alay Shorish" is an organization that includes mostly veterans who merged with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in the eighties of the last century before they were expelled and then returned again in the early nineties.

The Organization addressed to Sheikh Jangi,  "the secession of the Kurdistan Socialist Movement, and then the Hakkari disaster, split the organizational structure of the Patriotic Union from head to foot, and the war between these two parts had killed hundreds of cadres and had weakened both the Union and the Movement."

 The statement added, "Alay Shorish was not a force of revenge,.. none of the Peshmerga members was killed by Alay Shorish,” adding that "Alay Shorish was not a poisoned dagger, but rather the policy that the Komala and the PUK Union followed put the dagger in the back of the Union and disappointed hundreds of cadres and Peshmerga and made them leave the ranks of the revolution.”

 The statement indicated that "after the revolution, the prominent leaders and cadres of Alay united with the Patriotic Union, and the impact of their struggle is clear and evident in the policy of the PUK."

"The Change Movement has weakened the Patriotic Union and the Green Bloc Force and changed the balance of power in Kurdistan. Despite this, the co-chair (Lahore) does not look at it!"

 The statement stressed, "We, the ancient fighters of Alay Shorish, are not involved in the current struggles of the Union and we will not be, but we defend the history of our struggle, … a struggle for the Kurdistan and the deprived people … we have no personal goal..”

Tension culminated between the two supreme leaders of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Lahur and Bafel Talabani, with the latter announcing himself the sole president of the Kurdish party.

Bafel Talabani met earlier today, Monday, the head of al-Nasr Coalition, former PM Haidar al-Abadi, in the PUK headquarters in Dabashan hill.

A readout issued by Talabani's office said, "the president said that he aspires to organize the Kurdish house and lead Kurdistan toward security and stability. To attain this goal, he needs to cooperate with Shiite, Sunni, and all the political parties in the country."

In response, Lahur Sheikh Jangi Talabani said, "the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan did not collapse after Hakkari catastrophe, neither the poisoned dagger of Alay Shorish, nor October 13 treason, the referendum conspiracy, or the recent local, regional, Ottoman conspiracy."

"PUK is stronger than how the enemies believe. It relies on the people of Kurdistan and the families of the martyrs. They will not allow weakening the PUK," he said.

A conflict raged between the main leaders of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) which founded by Jalal Talabani.

Bafel Talabani and his cousin Lahore Sheikh Jangi Talabani, the PUK’S co-chairmen threatened each other of military confrontation.

Both put on a heightened military state of alert to impose the will on the other side.

The dispute has been irritating after Bafel Talabani decided to appoint a person of his side as the head of Zanyari security apparatus to lead the fight against terrorism.

The apparatus is considered the most powerful Kurdish intelligence and security service. It was led by Lahore Sheikh Jangi Talabani. 

In February 2020, Bafel Talabani and Lahore Sheikh Jangi Talabani were elected as co-chairs of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, a first step of its kind for Kurdish parties.

It was agreed that the son of the Founder, Bafel, would conduct politics, while Sheikh Jangi would take responsibility for security files.

But it appears that Bafel's latest move will assert control over the security institutions within the PUK's sphere of influence.

During Jalal Talabani’s illness, Lahore Sheikh Jangi gradually took defacto steps to control social and youth fronts in addition to security institutions in the Party, until Bafel was unable to remove him, and eventually agreed with him to share the leadership.

However, Bafel Talabani’s move, supported by veteran leaders in the Party, pulled the rug out from Sheikh Jangi, and stripped the power over the institutions that had been under his control for years. 

These fast-moving developments prompted the Iraqi President Barham Salih, who is a PUK leader, as well as American and Iranian parties to intervene, trying to contain any armed clash between cousins.

For his part, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is the second largest party in the Kurdistan Region in popularity and influence, and any crack, such as the one that occurs, affect the other areas of the Region.

KDP confirms that these events reflect tensions, instability, and raised concerns among our population.